Folding and stacking configuration for wet wipes

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to wet wipes for use in wiping surfaces in the home and in industry, in addition to their use on the human body such as for baby wipes, make-up removal and other skin care applications. The wet wipes ( 1 ) are folded and interleaved with one another to provide an improved stacking configuration whereby each wipe can be readily singly separated from the wet wipe stack ( 23 ) by the consumer.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to stacks of wet wipes which are providedwith an improved interfolding and interleaving configuration, such thateach wipe can be readily separated from the wet wipe stack by theconsumer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Wet wipes are typically premoistened, disposable towelettes which may beutilised in a variety of applications both domestic and industrial andperform a variety of functions. Wet wipes are typically used to wipesurfaces both animate and inanimate, and may provide numerous benefitssuch as cleaning, cleansing, disinfecting, and skin care benefits.

One particular application is the use of wet wipes for wiping parts ofthe human body particularly when wash water is not available, forexample when traveling. Wipes are commonly used for human cleansing andwiping such as anal, perineal cleansing and genital cleansing and faceand hand cleansing for example as intimate hygiene wipes such asfeminine wet wipes. Wet wipes may also be used for application ofsubstances to the body including removing and applying of make-up, skinconditioners and medications. Another application of wipes is duringdiaper changes and also for the treatment of adult and baby dermatitispartly caused by the use of diapers and incontinence devices. Inaddition wet wipes are also applicable for wiping and or cleaning othersurfaces or for the application of compositions to surfaces, for examplekitchen and bathroom surfaces, eyeglasses, shoes and surfaces whichrequire cleaning in industry for example surfaces of machinery orautomobiles. Wet wipes also include articles used for the cleaning orgrooming of pets.

Wet wipes are commonly constructed of combinations of synthetic andnatural fibres, such as polyolefin fibres, viscose fibres and cottonfibres, which are generally moistened with an aqueous composition whichcontains amongst others surfactants, preservatives, oils and scents. Thewet wipes are then typically provided in a folded stacked configurationwithin a covered container such as a tub-like container having a lid.Alternatively, the wipes may be provided in tub containers having adispensing aperture. In both cases this allows easy transportation andstorage of the wipes.

However, a problem with the current stacking of folded wet wipes is thelack of easy, single wipe dispensation from the wet wipe stack. Thisproblem is particularly acute in circumstances of use such as when aconsumer is holding a baby during a diaper change. Under such conditionsthe consumer needs to be able to pick up and separate the wipe from thestack using only one hand. This is not achieved satisfactorily withcurrent products.

The problem of the lack of satisfactory wet wipe dispensation from thestack and container is due to a number of reasons. Firstly, wet wipesare typically folded and either placed one on top of the other orinterleaved with an adjacent wipe. However, the exact location of theleading edge of the upper most wipe of the current stack is not easilyidentifiable, either visually or tacitly. This is because the substratematerial of the wipe is typically homogeneous and thus the leading edgeof the wipe, particularly when folded, cannot be distinguished from thewipe substrate material on which it rests. In addition, the leading edgeportion of the wipe also has a tendency to adhere to the underlying wipesubstrate material on which it rests. Hence even tactile identificationof the edge by running or dragging of the fingers across the wipesurface does not immediately result in the identification of thelocation of the edge.

Secondly, once the leading edge has been located, it is difficult forthe consumer to grasp hold of sufficient substrate material and maintaingrasp thereof, in order to separate a single wipe from the stack uponwhich it rests. The consumer often is only able to grasp a small portionof the leading edge such that a tight grip thereof is not establishedand hence the wipe easily slips from the fingers of the consumer.

These problems associated with wet wipe dispensation have beenrecognised in the art. For example U.S. Pat. No. 5,540,332 addressesdispensability of wet wipes and a method of producing these wipes. Theimproved dispensability is achieved by providing at least a portion ofone of the end edges of the wipe with a repeating non-linear patternsuch as a sine wave configuration. However, the problem of single wetwipe dispensation is neither addressed or overcome by the use of a nonlinear leading edge.

Another proposed solution to the dispensing problem is described in U.S.Pat. No. 4,778,048, which discloses a product comprising a stack of wetwipes tilted on edge within a container for improved access, dispensingand equal liquid distribution. In a preferred embodiment, the edge ofeach wipe has a Gurley Stiffness greater than the stiffness of the mainbody of the wipe. However, the provision of such a stiff edge is initself undesirable characteristics of a wet wipe. Wet wipes,particularly those intended for use on sensitive areas of the skin suchas baby wipes require a certain degree of softness. The edge of the wipewhich is stiffened is no longer suitable for use as is indeed recognisedin the patent itself, and hence the wipes have a reduced substratesurface suitable for use. Also care needs to be taken to reduce or avoidcontact of this edge portion with the skin as it may cause irritation.Moreover, the stiffness of the edge again does not solve the problem ofsingle wipe dispensation. In addition, the provision of such a nonlinear edge on a nonwoven substrate using current manufacturingtechniques would also result in the fraying of the edges of thesubstrate which is also highly undesirable.

Alternatively, it has also been proposed to provide specificallydesigned dispensing containers having dispensing orifices in order toaid in the identification of the leading edge by the consumer. Thesecontainers are designed such that during the removal action of the uppermost wipe from the container, the adjacent wipe is elevated from thestack such that it partially protrudes through the orifice once theupper most wipe has been removed. In this manner the uppermost wipe ispositioned for easy grasp by the consumer. However, a disadvantage withsuch devices is that too much substrate material of the adjacent wipe isexposed through the orifice. Accordingly, the wipe becomes dry andunsuitable for use and has to be discarded. EP 747 313 proposes a meansto address this problem and discloses a multiple folded paper, such aswetted tissue paper, for continuous disposal through a containerorifice. In this manner a maximum of a quarter of the length of theadjacent wipe is exposed through the dispensing orifice. However, suchpaper tissue products cannot be utilised for all wet wipe applications,such as baby wipes as the wetted tissue paper is not satisfactory interms of softness or strength. In particular, such wetted tissues sufferfrom a tendency to tear during use and hence are not suitable for use aswet wipes.

Another key contributory factor to the problem of single wet wipedispensation from the wet wipe stack which is not addressed by any ofthe foregoing prior art, is the tendency of the wipe substrate materialto adhere to itself. In particular, this is due to the compression ofthe wipe stacks during manufacture and storage, the actual weight of thestack of wipes themselves, and the existence of attractive forcesin-between the substrate material and the lotion of the wipes. As aresult, when the wipes are folded to form a stack, the substratematerial tends to adhere to itself and the substrate material ofadjacent wipes. Consequently, once the consumer has raised the wipe fromthe stack, the wipe tends to maintain its folded configuration.Moreover, the wipe typically remains at least partially adhered to theadjacent wipe on which it was resting. Hence, in addition during theaction of wipe removal from the stack, the adjacent wipe is also atleast partially separated from the stack. As a result the consumer isrequired not only to unfold the wipe before commencing with the desiredapplication of the wipe but also, to separated it from the adjacent wipein the stack and returned this wipe to the stack in the container. Thisis obviously particularly inconvenient to consumers utilising baby wipesduring diaper changes.

The problem of substrate wipe adhesion has been recognised in the priorart. Attempts at resolving this problem have typically resided in theprovision of interleaved wipes as for example described in JP 08 089439. Indeed interleaving is also known in the prior art related to drytissue products such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,772,021 and U.S.Pat. No. 3,330,553. However due to complex interactions that existbetween substrate material and lotion in the wet wipe product, it isknown that the folding configurations generally utilized in such drytissue products cannot be reapplied to wet wipes.

Furthermore, many of the proposed interleaving configurations haveassociated problems therewith. In particular, when as a result ofinterleaving the degree of overlap of substrate material betweenadjacent wipes is large, then the problem of substrate adhesion ismerely exacerbated such that the wipes are effectively always releasedin pairs, or although the wipe is dispensed singly, a large proportionof an adjacent wipe may still be exposed through the dispensing orificeafter the removal of the upper wipe, such that the wipe becomes dry. Onthe other hand, if the overlap between adjacent wipes is minimised suchthat single wipe dispensation is guaranteed, there is no recognisableseparation of the adjacent wipe from the stack and the problem ofleading edge identification reappears.

Furthermore, in addition to the unsatisfactory dispensation of thewipes, other problems related to the proposed prior art interleavingconfigurations may also arise. For example, as a result of theinterleaving configurations the substrate material may be unevenlydistributed in the container, which leads to a number of undesirableeffects such as uneven lotion distribution throughout the stack of wipesand within the individual wipes themselves resulting in concentration ofthe lotion at specific areas within the stack. Moreover, many of theinterleaving configurations also result in the formation of ridges andgrooves in the substrate material, which both tends to reduce thestrength and softness of the wipe in addition to being aestheticallyundesirable.

It is therefore desirable to provide a wet wipe substrate which issuitable for multiple applications such as baby wipes, which are strong,soft and absorbent. It is further desirable to provide a stackingconfiguration for such wet wipes which faciliates easy, single wipedispensation from the wipe stack.

The present invention addresses these problems by providing a stack ofwet wipes which have an improved folding and interleaving configuration.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention hence relates to a wet wipe for wiping parts ofthe human body such as baby wipes and other surfaces. In particular, thepresent invention relates to a stacking configuration for wet wipes soas to facilitate ease of dispensation and separation of a single wipefrom the stack of wet wipes, especially for applications utilising acontainer and dispensing orifice.

Accordingly, the wet wipe stacking configuration comprises a firstassembly of wipes and a second assembly of wipes, each of the wipescomprising a substrate and a liquid composition. Each of said wipesextends lengthwise from a first leading end edge to a second trailingend edge and has at least two folds thereby providing, a leading edgepanel, a central panel and a trailing edge panel.

According to the present invention, said first assembly of wipes isinterleaved between said second assembly of wipes and vice-versa, suchthat at least a portion of said leading edge panel and at least aportion of said central panel of each of said second assembly of wipesare interleaved between at least a portion of said trailing edge paneland at least a portion of said central panel of one wipe of said firstassembly of wipes. Similarly, at least a portion of said central paneland at least a portion of said leading edge panel of each of said firstassembly of wipes are interleaved between at least a portion of saidtrailing edge panel and at least a portion of said central panel of onewipe of said second assembly of wipes. In addition the wipes areinterleaved such that the length of said leading edge panel or saidtrailing edge panel of each of said first assembly of wipes is no morethan 50% of the length of the corresponding central panel, and such thatthe length of said leading edge panel or said trailing edge panel ofeach of said second assembly of wipes is no more than 50% of the lengthof the corresponding central panel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1: Depicts a perspective view of a z-folded wet wipe.

FIG. 2: Is a cross sectional schematic illustration of a stack of foldedand interleaved wet wipes in a dispensing container.

FIG. 3a: Is a cross sectional illustration taken along line x—x in FIG.1 showing a wipe having a leading edge panel 9, a central panel 8 and atrailing edge panel 10 and folded in a Z fold configuration.

FIG. 3b: Is a cross sectional illustration of a folded wipe having a lip36 on the leading edge panel.

FIGS. 4a, 4 b, 4 c & 4 d: Cross sectional illustration of 4 embodimentsof folding and interleaving configurations for wet wipes according tothe present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention the wet wipe comprises a substratewhich is coated or impregnated with a liquid composition. The substratemay be woven or nonwoven, foam, sponge, battings, balls, puffs or films,most preferably a nonwoven and may be composed or natural or syntheticfibres or mixtures thereof. Preferably, the fibre compositions are amixed of hydrophilic fibre material such as viscose, cotton, or flax anda hydrophobic fibre material such as polyethylene tetraphthalate (PET)or polypropylene (PP) in a ratio of 20%-80% hydrophilic and 80%-20%hydrophobic material by weight. Two particularly preferred compositionsare 50% viscose/50% PP and 50% viscose 50% PET. The substrate preferablyhas a basis weight of at least 20 gm⁻² and preferably less than 150gm⁻², and most preferably the base weight is in the range of 20 gm⁻² to70 gm⁻², more preferably from 50 gm⁻² to 65 gm⁻². The substrate may haveany caliper. Typically, when the substrate is made by a hydroentanglingprocess, the average substrate caliper is less than 0.8 mm. Morepreferably the average caliper of the substrate is from 0.1 mm to 0.4mm. The substrate caliper is measured according to standard EDANA nonwoven industry methodology, reference method # 30.4-89. The bulk densityof the substrate is preferably not more than 1.0 g/cm³, preferably notmore than 0.9 g/cm³, most preferably not more than 0.7 g/cm³.

In addition to the fibers used to make the substrates, the substrate canhave other components or materials added thereto as known in the art.The types of additives desirable will be dependent upon the particularend use of the substrate contemplated. For example, in wet wipe productssuch as moist toilet paper, paper towels, facial tissues, baby wipes andother similar air laid products, high wet strength is a desirableattribute. Thus, it is often desirable particularly for cellulose basedsubstrates to add chemical substances known in the art as wet strengthresins. A general dissertation on the types of wet strength resinsutilized in the paper art can be found in TAPPI monograph series No. 29,Wet Strength in Paper and Paperboard, Technical Association of the Pulpand Paper Industry (New York, 1965). In addition to wet strengthadditives, it can also be desirable to include certain dry strength andlint control additives known in the art such as starch binders.Furthermore, the substrate may also comprise agents to improve theoptical characteristics of the substrate material such as opacifyingagents, for example titanium dioxide.

According to the present invention the substrate may be produced by anymethods known in the art. For example nonwoven substrates can be formedby dry forming techniques such as air-laying or wet laying such as on apaper making machine. Other nonwoven manufacturing techniques such asmelt blown, spun bonded, needle punched and spun laced methods may alsobe used. A preferred method is hydroentangling.

According to the present invention a stacking configuration for wetwipes is provided, which results in the improved ease of dispensationand separation of a single wipe from the wet wipe stack and easyrecognition of the location and ease of grasp of the leading edge ofeach subsequent wipe.

The present invention will now be described with reference to thefigures. FIG. 1 provides a perspective view of a single folded wet wipe1. FIG. 2 is a cross sectional illustration of a stack of foldedinterleaved wipes 23 according to the present invention housed in acontainer 20. The container 20 includes a tub portion 21 and a lid 22,pivotably joined to the tube portion, by for example a hinge mechanismand a dispensing orifice 24. In an alternative embodiment, the wipes canalso be stacked and then packaged in a moisture impervious wrapper, suchas a foil or laminated polymeric film wrapper, to provide a refillpackage for use in refilling such a container.

According to the present invention the stacking configuration comprisesa first and a second assembly of wipes which are interleaved with oneanother. Referring to FIGS. 1-3, each folded wipe 1 in each assemblyextends lengthwise from a first, leading end edge 2, to a second,trailing end edge 3. The folded webs also have side edges 4 and 5 whichextend lengthwise from the first leading end edge 2 to the secondtrailing end edge 3. Each folded wipe 1 has at least two folds therebyproviding three panels. As used herein a panel is a portion of a wipeextending between two folds, or between a fold and an edge end.

The first panel fold 6 is generally parallel to the leading edge 2, andgenerally perpendicular to the side edges 4, 5. The first panel fold 6is spaced lengthwise from the leading edge 2 to provide a leading edgepanel 9 extending between the first panel fold 6 and the leading edge 2.The second panel fold 7 is generally parallel to, and spaced lengthwisefrom, the first panel fold 6, thereby providing a central panel 8 joinedto the leading edge panel 9, at the first panel fold 6, and extendingbetween the first panel fold 6 and the second panel fold 7. The trailingedge panel 10 is joined to the central panel 8 at the second panel fold7, and extends between the second panel fold 7 and the trailing edge 3.According to the present invention the wipes are folded at the first andsecond panel folds 6 and 7, to provide the corresponding leading edgepanel, central panel, and trailing edge panels 9, 8 and 10. The wipescan thus be folded into a number of configurations prior tointerleaving. This is clearly demonstrated with reference to therespective surfaces of each of the panels as indicated in FIG. 3.

In FIG. 3a, each wipe has a first upper surface leading edge panel 30, asecond lower surface leading edge panel 31, a first upper surfacetrailing edge panel 32, a second lower surface trailing edge panel 33, afirst upper surface central panel 34 and a second lower surface centralpanel 35. The leading edge panel and the trailing edge panel may thus beprovided by the first panel fold and the second panel fold respectivelysuch that the panel rests on the upper facing surface of the centralpanel or the lower facing surface of the central panel. As exemplifiedin FIGS. 1 and 3a, the leading edge panel 9 is adjacent to and overliesa portion of the upper facing surface of the central panel 8 and thetrailing edge panel is adjacent to and underlies a portion of the lowerfacing surface of the central panel 8 thereby providing a so calledreversed Z folded wipe. Alternatively, the wipes may be folded so as toprovided a Z fold configuration. In yet another alternative both theleading edge panel and the trailing edge panel of each wipe maybe foldedsuch that they are both adjacent and overlie a portion of the uppersurface of the central panel. Preferably the wipes of the first andsecond assemblies are folded so as to provide mirror images of oneanother, for example whereby the first assembly of wipes are folded in aZ fold and the wipes of the second assembly are folded in a reversed Zfold.

Furthermore, in addition to the leading edge panel, central panel andtrailing edge panel described herein above, each wipe may also havefurther additional panels. In particular, the leading edge panel and orthe trailing edge panel may also be provided with an additional fold soas to provide a leading edge panel lip 36 or a trailing edge panel lipas illustrated in FIG. 3b. Such a lip is formed by providing the leadingedge panel or the trailing edge panel with a panel lip fold which isadjacent to and spaced from the leading or trailing edge of the foldedsubstrate to provide a lip extending between the panel lip fold and theend edge. The panel lip fold may be folded onto the lower surface of theleading edge panel such that the leading end edge is below the leadingedge end panel. This configuration is particularly beneficial infacilitating grasping of the edge. Alternatively, the leading edge panelmay be folded such that the leading end edge rests on the upper surfaceof the leading edge panel. The lip may also be positioned on the upperor lower surface of the trailing edge panel. The lip typically extendsfrom the leading or trailing edge from between 4 cm to 0.1 cm,preferably from 2 cm to 0.25 cm to the leading edge panel lip fold orthe trailing edge panel lip fold.

According to the present invention, the overall dimensions of thesubstrate material and the panels thereof is dependent on the intendedapplication of the wipe and can be selected accordingly. Preferably theratio of the lengths of the leading edge panel to central panel totrailing edge panel is from 1:2:1 to 1:5:1 and most preferably the ratiois 1:3:1. More preferably the ratio of the lengths of the panels of thewipes of the first and second assembly of wipes are identical and mostpreferably the leading and trailing edge panels are both approximatelyone quarter the total length of the wipe. In one non limiting,illustrative example wherein the wipe may be utilised as a baby wipe,each folded wipe 1 can have an unfolded length of from 10 cm to 30 cm asmeasured lengthwise from the leading end edge 2 to the trailing end edge3. For each folded wipe 1, the spacing between the first panel fold 6and the second panel fold 7 can be from 2 cm to 7 cm, while the lengthsof the leading edge panel 9 and trailing edge panel 10 can be from 2 cmto 7 cm. In a preferred embodiment the spacing between the first panelfold 6 and the leading end edge 2 is more preferably from 3 cm to 6 cm,and even more preferably between about 3 cm and 5 cm. The spacingbetween the first panel fold 6 and the second panel fold is morepreferably from 3 cm to 12 cm, and even more preferably between about 10cm and 12 cm. The spacing between the second panel fold 7 and thetrailing edge is more preferably from 3 cm to 6 cm, and even morepreferably between about 3 cm and 5 cm.

According to the present invention and with reference to the embodimentsillustrated in FIGS. 4a, 4 b, 4 c and 4 d, an essential feature of thestacking configuration is that each of the first assembly of foldedwipes 40 are interleaved with each of the second assembly of foldedwipes 50.

For example wipe x of the second assembly of wipes is folded in a Z foldand interleaved between a reverse Z folded wipe x of the first assemblyof wipes. Similarly wipe y of the first assembly of wipes is interleavedbetween wipe x of the second assembly of wipes and, wipe y of the firstassembly of wipes is interleaved with wipe y of the second assembly ofwipes and so on. In this manner, commencing with the second assemblywipe x, at least a portion of said central panel 52 x and at least aportion of said leading edge panel 51 x of each of said second assemblyof wipes 50 are interleaved with wipe x of the first assembly of wipesbetween at least a portion of said trailing edge panel 43 x and at leasta portion of said central panel 42 x of each of said first assembly ofwipes 40. Similarly, at least a portion of said central panel 42 y andat least a portion of said leading edge panel 41 y of each of said firstassembly of wipes 40, are interleaved between at least a portion of saidtrailing edge panel 53 x and at least a portion of said central panel 52x of each of said second assembly of wipes 50.

According to the present invention another essential feature of thestacking configuration is related to the relative lengths of the panelsof each of the wipes of the first and second assemblies. Accordingly, ithas been found that the length of the leading edge panel or the trailingedge panel of each wipe for example wipes x of said first assembly ofwipes, is no more than 50% of the length of the corresponding centralpanel. Similarly, the length of the leading edge panel or said trailingedge panel of each wipe of said second assembly of wipes, is no morethan 50% the length of the corresponding central panel. Hence, theleading and trailing edge panels of each of the first and secondassemblies of wipes may be of any length provided that the sum of thelength of the leading edge panel and the length of the trailing edgepanel of any wipe is not greater than the length of the correspondingcentral panel of the wipe. Preferably however, the lengths of the panelsof all of the wipes in each assembly and more preferably thecorresponding panels in both first and second assemblies are ofsubstantially identical dimensions.

Wet wipes stacked as described herein above result in superiordispensation than wipes stacked according to the prior art. Whilst notwishing to be bound by theory it has been found that the improveddispensing is related to the combination of the specific interleavedfolding configuration between the first and second assemblies of wipesand the specific area of overlap between the panels of the wipes.

By the utilisation of the herein above described interleavingconfiguration the removal of the uppermost wipe, for example wipe x ofthe first assembly, from the interleaved stack will cause the agitationof the leading edge panel and central panel of the adjacent wipe x ofthe second assembly from the stack. This thereby facilitates theidentification of the location of the leading edge of the adjacent wipeto the consumer, in particular as the leading edge of the adjacent wipewhilst agitated tends to remain positioned upon the central panelthereby providing a thickened portion for the consumer to grasp.Furthermore, it has been found that the area of overlap between theleading edge panel of the adjacent wipe (i.e. wipe x of the secondassembly of wipes) and the central panel or trailing edge panel of theuppermost wipe, (i.e. wipe x of the first assembly of wipes) ensuresthat the required amount of length of the substrate material of the wipex of the second assembly is raised and separated from the stack. Thearea of overlap between the central panel of the adjacent wipe (x of thesecond assembly) and the trailing edge panel or the central panel of theuppermost wipe (x of first assembly) appear to be of lesser importance.Hence, the positioning of the first and second panel folds and therelative lengths of the leading and trailing edge panels to the centralpanel is of critical importance. However, the improved dispensationprovided by the present invention may also involve other effects andinteractions in addition to or instead of the hypothesis given, andhence no reliance should be placed thereon.

Further in addition to the dispensing improvement, the interleavingconfiguration of the present invention particularly the embodimentillustrated in FIG. 4a, also ensures that the majority of the substratematerial of each wipe in the stack is positioned in the horizontalplane. This reduces the tendency of the stack to produce ridges orgrooves of substrate material. Moreover, the stacking configuration alsoreduces the tendency of the liquid composition to become unevenlydistributed throughout the stack.

The further details of the invention will now be described withreference in turn to each of the embodiments 4 a, 4 b, 4 c and 4 d.

FIG. 4a, depicts a most preferred stacking configuration of the presentinvention. The configuration comprises a first assembly of wipes 40folded in a reversed Z configuration interleaved with a second assemblyof wipes folded in a reversed Z fold configuration. Thereby, a portionof the central panel 42 x (42 y) of each wipe of the first assembly 40is in contact with a portion of the leading edge panel 51 x (51 y) ofeach wipe of the second assembly 50, such that substantially all of oneof the surfaces of the leading edge panel 51 x (51 y) of each of thewipes of the second assembly 50 is in contact with a portion of thecentral panel 42 x (42 y) of each of the wipes of the first assembly 40.In this embodiment the leading edge panel 41 y and the trailing edgepanel 43 x (43 y) of each of said first assembly of wipes 40 are both nomore than 50% the length of said corresponding central panel 42 x (42 y)and are substantially equal in length. Correspondingly, the leading edgepanel 51 x (51 y) and the trailing edge panel 53 x (53 y) of each ofsaid second assembly 50 of said wipes are both not more than 50% thelength of said corresponding central panel 52 x (52 y) and aresubstantially equal in length. Furthermore, the lengths of the leadingedge panel 41 x (41 y), the trailing edge panel 43 x (43 y) and thecentral panel 42 x (42 y) of the each of the wipes of the first assembly40 are substantially equal in length to the lengths of the correspondingleading edge panel 51 x (51 y), trailing edge panel 53 x (53 y) andcentral panel 52 x (52 y) of the second assembly of wipes 50. Inparticular, in the embodiment depicted in 4 a the leading edge of eachof said first assembly of wipes and each of said second assembly ofwipes is approximately a quarter of the total length of each of saidwipes.

The embodiment depicted in FIG. 4b, is identical to that of 4 a in termsof length of the respective panels. However in this embodiment, thewipes of both the first and second assemblies are folded such that theleading edge panel and the trailing edge panel of the wipes is adjacentto the lower surface of the central panel of the corresponding wipeprior to interleaving. Hence, after interfolding according to thepresent invention, a portion of the central panel 42 x (42 y) of eachwipe of the first assembly 40 is in contact with a portion of thecentral panel 52 x (52 y) of each of the wipes of the second assembly 50and a portion of the trailing edge panel 53 x (53 y) of the wipes of thesecond assembly being in contact with the leading edge panel 41 y of thewipes of the first assembly 40. Similarly, a portion of the trailingedge panel 53 x of each wipe of the second assembly is in contact with aportion of the leading edge panel 41 y of each wipe of the firstassembly and a portion of the central panel 52 x of each wipe of thesecond assembly is in contact with a portion of the central panel 42 yof each wipe of the first assembly of wipes.

The embodiments according to FIGS. 4c and 4 d depict a stackingconfiguration wherein the wipes of the first assembly 40, are folded ina reversed Z configuration and are interleaved with a second assembly ofwipes 50 folded in a Z fold. However in these embodiments the lengths ofthe leading and trailing edge panel of the wipes of each of therespective assemblies are not equal. In the embodiment depicted in 4 c,the length of the leading edge panel of the wipes of both the first andsecond assemblies is over 50% the length of the central panel and is infact about 60% the length of the central panel of each of the wipes ofboth the first and second assemblies. Consequently, the length of thetrailing edge panel of each of the wipes of both first and secondassemblies is less than 50% the length of the central panel and is about30%. In the embodiment depicted in 4 d, the length of the trailing edgepanel of each of the wipes of both the first and second assemblies isover 50% and is about 60% of the length of the central panel of each ofthe wipes of both the first and second assemblies. Correspondingly, thelength of the leading edge panel of each of the wipes is less than 50%,and is about 30% of the length of the central panel.

In a particularly preferred embodiment according to the presentinvention, as depicted for example in FIG. 4a, the second panel fold 45x of each of the wipes of the first assembly should not be in directcontact with the first panel fold 54 x of each of the adjacent wipes ofthe second assembly of wipes. Similarly, the second panel fold 55 x ofeach of the wipes of the second assembly should not be contact with thefirst panel fold 44 y of the adjacent wipes of the first assembly.Preferably, there should be a distance between the fold lines of atleast 1 mm, preferably from between 1 mm to 5 mm, and most preferablyfrom between 1 mm and 3 mm. This is because it is believed that contactbetween two adjacent folds of two adjacent wipes (x of the second and yof the first assemblies) hinders the ability of the uppermost wipe to beseparated from the adjacent wipe and cause too much of the substratematerial of the adjacent wipe to be separated from the stack.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention it is alsopreferable to provide the leading edge or panel with a visual and ortactile indicator. Such indicators further assist in the location of theleading edge itself by the consumer. Visual indicators may be providedfor example in the form of a thin coloured strip or band printed on thesurface of the leading edge panel in the vicinity of the edge itself.

A particularly preferred means for providing an edge indicator is by theuse of a non linear edge such as a repeating sine wave or a repeatingzig-zag pattern. Such non linear patterns may extend partially along thelength of the edge in a continuous or intermittent manner or morepreferably extend substantially along the entire length of the edge ofthe wipe. The provision of such an edge provides both a visual andtactile edge location indicator. Such mechanisms further promote ease ofdispensation of the wipes.

According to the present invention, the substrate material is typicallyimpregnated or coated with a liquid composition. An advantage of thepresent invention is that the stacking configuration allows a variety ofcomposition to be used with the substrate material without significantimpact on the dispensing mechanism. This is not only useful in allowingthe nature of the composition to be varied, but also allows the loadingof the composition throughout the stack to be varied in order to combatthe composition settling at the base of the stack. According to thepresent invention the term liquid composition refers to any compositionwhich is in a liquid form when the wipe is in contact with the surface.Typically, the composition may be aqueous, alcohol based or an emulsion,either a water-in-oil or an oil-in-water or a multiple emulsion,preferably the emulsion is a oil-in-water emulsion. The emulsion mayalso comprise a lipid phase which can be broken by the application ofminimal pressure for example by wiping the skin. Typically, thecomposition will comprise from 2% to 50% by weight of said compositionof actives and from 50% to 98% water, preferably de-ionised ordistilled. Of the active component, preferably 2% to 20% are present inthe oil phase and the remainder are present in the aqueous phase.

According to the present invention the wet wipes are provided with anemulsion composition comprising a oil phase in the range of 1% to 20%,preferably 2% to 10%, by weight of the composition. Advantageously, theoil based phase is derived from natural resources such as from vegetableor animal oils or may be synthetic or any mixtures thereof. Suitablevegetable and animal oils for use herein include waxes such as beeswax,lanolin, candelilla, and oils such as glycerine esters and glycerineethers, fatty acid alcohols, fatty acid esters and fatty acid etherssuch as caprylic and capric triglycerides and octylpalmitate. Suitablemineral oils include petroleum based oils such as paraffin and petroleumjelly. Synthetic oils for use herein include ethylenic polymers forexample polyethylene wax or silicone based oils. Suitable silicon oilsinclude polydimethylsiloxanes, volatile cyclomethicones, dimethiconols,siloxysilicates and amino- and phenyl derivatives of siloxanes andmixtures thereof. Examples include dimethicone (Dow Corning 200 Fluids),cyclomethicone and dimethiconol (Dow Corning 1401 Fluid), cetyldimethicone (Dow Corning 2502 Fluid), dimethicone andtrimethylsiloxysilicate (Dow Corning 593 Fluid), cyclomethicone (DowCorning 244, 245, 344 or 345 Fluid), phenyl trimethicone (Dow Corning556 Fluid), or combinations thereof.

The oil-in-water emulsions typically require emulsifying agents. Theemulsifying agents which may be used in the present invention arepreferably capable of primary emulsification of oil-in-water emulsions.The emulsifying agent is present in the range of 0.02% to 5.0%,preferably 0.02% to 3.0%, by weight of the composition.

In a preferred embodiment the emulsifying agent is a polymeric type ofemulsifying agent such as a copolymer of C10-C30 alkyl acrylates and oneor more monomers of acrylic acid, methylacrylic acid or one of theirsimple esters cross linked with an allyl ether of sucrose or an allylether of pentaerythritol. The emulsifying agents which are thus usefulin the present invention include Ceteareth-12, Ceteareth-20 or PemulenTR1 and TR2 which are available from B.F. Goodrich company of the USA.However, other known emulsifying agents such as ethoxylated fattyalcohols, glycerine esters of fatty acids, soaps, sugar derived agentsare also suitable for use herein. Other useful emulsifying agentsinclude those disclosed in detail in EP-A-328 355.

According to the present invention the composition may comprise astability agent or preservative. Stability agents suitable for useherein include phenoxyethanol preferably present in the range of from0.1 to 1.0%, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, methylparaben,propylparaben, ethylparaben, butylparaben, sodium benzoate, potassiumsorbate, benzalkonium chloride, and disodium salt ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (hereinafter referred to as EDTA) or other EDTA salts(sequestrenes). Sequestrene is a series of complexing agents and metalcomplexes general of ethylenediamine-tetraacetic acid and salts. Thetotal quantity of stability agents should be in the range of 0.1% to4.0% by weight of the composition.

The composition of the present invention may further comprise from 0.02%to 5.0% by weight of said composition of an emollient or moisturiser.Preferably the emollient is water soluble and includes polyhydricalcohols, such as propylene glycol, glycerin, and also water solublelanolin derivatives.

Further optional ingredients which may be used in the present inventioninclude, anti fungal agents, antibacterial agents, skin protectants, oilsoluble cleansing agents, water soluble surfactants or detergents,preferably nonionic or amphoteric, pH adjusters, perfumes, fragrancesand the like.

In order for the emulsion to provide the wet wipe with good cleaningperformance the delivered viscosity should be less than 500 mPas,preferably in the range of 300 to more than 100 mPas and most preferablyin the range of 180 to 120 mPas.

In preparing wet wipe products according to the present invention, thecomposition is applied to at least one surface of the substratematerial. The composition can be applied at any time during themanufacture of the wet wipe. Preferably the composition can be appliedto the substrate after the substrate has been dried. Any variety ofapplication methods that evenly distribute lubricious materials having amolten or liquid consistency can be used. Suitable methods includespraying, printing, (e.g. flexographic printing), coating (e.g. gravurecoating or flood coating) extrusion whereby the composition is forcedthrough tubes in contact with the substrate whilst the substrate passesacross the tube or combinations of these application techniques. Forexample spraying the composition on a rotating surface such as calenderroll that then transfers the composition to the surface of thesubstrate. The composition can be applied either to one surface of thesubstrate or both surfaces, preferably both surfaces. The preferredapplication method is extrusion coating.

The composition can also be applied non uniformly to the surfaces of thesubstrate. By non uniform it is meant that for example the amount,pattern of distribution of the composition can vary over the surface ofthe substrate. For example some of the surface of the substrate can havegreater or lesser amounts of composition, including portions of thesurface that do not have any composition on it. The composition istypically applied in an amount of from about 0.5 g to 10 g per gram ofsubstrate, preferably from 1.0 g to 5 g per gram of substrate, mostpreferably from 2 g to 4 g per gram of dry substrate.

Preferably, the composition can be applied to the substrate at any pointafter it has been dried. For example the composition can be applied tothe substrate prior to calendering or after calendering and prior tobeing wound up onto a parent roll. Typically, the application will becarried out on a substrate unwound from a roll having a width equal to asubstantial number of wipes it is intended to produce. The substratewith the composition applied thereto is then subsequently severed toproduce individual wipes.

What is claimed is:
 1. A stacking configuration for wet wipes, saidconfiguration comprising a first assembly of wipes and a second assemblyof wipes, each of said wipes comprising a substrate and a liquidcomposition and, each of said wipes extending lengthwise from a firstleading end edge to a second trailing end edge, and each of said wipeshaving two folds thereby providing, a leading edge panel, a centralpanel and a trailing edge panel, and wherein said first assembly ofwipes are interleaved with said second assembly of wipes, such that atleast a portion of said leading edge panel and at least a portion ofsaid central panel of each of said second assembly of wipes areinterleaved between at least a portion of said trailing edge panel andat least a portion of said central panel of one wipe of said firstassembly of wipes and at least a portion of said central panel and atleast a portion of said leading edge panel of each of said firstassembly of wipes are interleaved between at least a portion of saidtrailing edge panel and at least a portion of said central panel of onewipe of said second assembly of wipes, whereby the lengths of saidleading edge panel and said trailing edge panel of each of said firstassembly of wipes are both no more than 50% of the length of saidcorresponding central panel and wherein said leading edge panel and saidtrailing edge panel of each of said second assembly of said wipes areboth not more than 50% the length of said corresponding central paneland the lengths of said leading edge panel and said trailing edge panelof each of said first assembly of wipes are substantially equal inlength and wherein said the lengths of the leading edge panel and saidtrailing edge panel of each of said second assembly of wipes aresubstantially equal in length.
 2. A stacking configuration for wet wipesaccording to claim 1, wherein said leading edge panel of each of saidfirst assembly of wipes is substantially equal in length with saidleading edge panel of each of said second assembly of wipes.
 3. Astacking configuration for wet wipes according to claim 1, wherein theratio of the lengths of said leading edge panel of each of said firstassembly of wipes and each of said second assembly of wipes to thecentral panel to the length of said trailing edge of each of said firstassembly of wipes and each of said second assembly of wipes is the ratiofrom 1:2:1 to 1:5:1.
 4. A stacking configuration for wet wipes accordingto claim 2, wherein said leading edge panel of each of said firstassembly of wipes and each of said second assembly of wipes isapproximately one quarter of the total length of each of said wipes. 5.A stacking configuration for wet wipes to claim 4, wherein said eachwipe of said first assembly of wipes is folded in a Z fold configurationand each wipe of said second assembly of wipes is folded in a reversed Zconfiguration.
 6. A stacking configuration according to claim 1, whereinsaid each wipe of said first assembly of wipes and each wipe of saidsecond assembly of wipes have a first panel fold and a second panel foldand wherein the distance between the first panel fold of each wipe ofthe first assembly and the second panel fold of one wipe of the secondassembly of wipes is between 1 mm and 5 mm and, wherein the distancebetween the second panel fold of each wipe of said first assembly ofwipes and the first panel fold of one wipe of the second assembly ofwipes is between 1 mm and 5 mm.
 7. A stacking configuration for wetwipes according to claim 1, wherein said wipes are housed in acontainer, said container having a dispensing orifice.
 8. Wet wipesaccording to claim 1, wherein said substrate is a nonwoven.
 9. Wet wipesaccording to claim 1, wherein said substrate comprises hydrophobicfibres selected from polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene ormixtures thereof.
 10. Wet wipes according to claim 1, wherein saidsubstrate comprises hydrophilic fibres selected from cotton, viscose,flax or mixtures thereof.
 11. Wet wipes according to claim 1, whereinsaid liquid composition is a oil-in-water emulsion and said wet wipecomprises from 0.5 g to 10 g of said emulsion per gram of said dryweight substrate.